Caucus against Foreign Corruption and Kleptocracy

Today's CAFCAK member spotlight: Representative French Hill (AR 02).

Prior to his congressional service, Rep. Hill was actively engaged in the Arkansas business community for two decades as a commercial banker and investment manager. He was founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Delta Trust & Banking Corp., which was headquartered in Little Rock and recently merged with Arkansas-based Simmons First National Corp.

Prior to his community banking work in Arkansas, Rep. Hill served as a senior official in the administration of President George H.W. Bush. From 1989 until 1991, Rep. Hill served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Corporate Finance, where one of his key assignments was representing the United States as a negotiator in the historic bilateral talks with Japan known as the Structural Impediments Initiative (SII).

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Rep. Hill led the design of U.S. technical assistance to the emerging economies of eastern and central Europe in the areas of banking and securities. In 1991, at the age of 34, President Bush appointed Mr. Hill to be Executive Secretary to the President’s Economic Policy Council (EPC), where he coordinated all White House economic policy. For his leadership and service at the Treasury and the White House, Rep. Hill was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Nicholas Brady in January 1993. Prior to his Executive Branch Service, from 1982 until 1984, Rep. Hill served on the staff of then-U.S. Senator John Tower (R-TX) as well as on the staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs.

Today's spotlight: Representative Anthony Gonzalez (OH 16).

As the son and grandson of Cuban immigrants who fled the Castro regime, Congressman Gonzalez cherishes the opportunity to serve his country and his community as a member of the world’s greatest legislative body. Congressman Gonzalez serves on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee and on the Financial Services Committee, where he is the vice chair of the Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion. He is also a proud co-chair of the House China Task Force.

Congressman Gonzalez was born and raised in Northeast Ohio. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University where he played wide receiver under Coach Jim Tressel, before becoming a first-round draft pick for the Indianapolis Colts. After five seasons in the NFL, Congressman Gonzalez attended Stanford Business School and launched a career in the technology industry before returning home to Northeast Ohio.

Today's CAFCAK member spotlight: Representative Adam Kinzinger (IL 11).

Congressman Kinzinger serves as a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Foreign Affairs Committee. His top priorities include strengthening U.S. energy policy and making our nation less reliant on foreign resources as well as bolstering the strength of our national security – both at home and abroad.

Prior to being elected to Congress, Kinzinger served in the Air Force in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He has always been a strong supporter of U.S. leadership in the Middle East, and he was among the first members of Congress to call for airstrikes against ISIS. He continues to focus on eradicating this threat with a comprehensive and detailed strategy.

Today's CAFCAK member spotlight: Representative Peter Meijer (MI 03).

After graduating high school, Peter enlisted in the Army reserves and deployed to Iraq as a non-commissioned officer, postponing his studies to serve with an intelligence unit at joint US-Iraqi bases in the Baghdad area.

After returning from Iraq in 2011 and finishing his studies at Columbia University, Peter joined Team Rubicon, a veteran-based disaster response organization. With Team Rubicon, Peter led humanitarian efforts in South Sudan dealing with a refugee crisis. He also led operations in New York after Superstorm Sandy, Oklahoma after a series of devastating tornadoes, and in the Philippines after Super Typhoon Yolanda.

While in the Philippines, Peter accepted a job with a conflict analysis NGO in Afghanistan.

Peter ran the NGO’s advisory operations in southern Afghanistan from Kandahar City, managing a large team to help aid workers safely provide relief to the Afghan people. Peter last served as acting Deputy Director for Afghanistan, delivering emergency assistance to aid workers after kidnappings and targeted killings.

Today's CAFCAK member spotlight: Representative Jack Bergman (MA 01).

Growing up in the Midwest, Jack Bergman’s parents instilled in him the values that drive the American Dream: If you work hard, never quit, and strive for excellence, you will find success. Those values are what guided him to the rank of Lt. General in the United States Marine Corps, empowered him to successfully own and operate a small business, and allowed him to enjoy a 22-year career as a commercial airline pilot.

Hard work and commitment made the United States the most exceptional nation in the world. Those are the principles that have guided Jack’s life, and are the principles that he is bringing to Washington. He believes what most Michiganders believe: Americans know how to live their lives better than politicians or bureaucrats do. Jack’s life has been dedicated to service and defending the Constitution. He is the highest ranking combat Veteran to have ever served in the U.S. House. He is shaking up the status quo in both Congress and will continue defending the United States from those who want to weaken it, both domestically and abroad.

Today's CAFCAK member spotlight: Representative Maria Salazar (FL 27).

Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar proudly represents Florida’s 27th Congressional District, passionately serving the people of South Florida. She currently serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs as well as the House Committee on Small Business.

Congresswoman Salazar is committed to acting tirelessly in defense of individual rights and liberties, spearheading economic development & job training efforts, and promoting environmental resiliency in her community. She is well-known for her advocacy for Human Rights and democracy around the world, especially for the people of Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Nicaragua, as well as for her unabashed support of our global & regional partners such as Israel, Colombia, and Taiwan.

In regards to the Combating Global Corruption Act, Representative Salazar made the following statement, "For too long, anti-corruption has taken a backseat in U.S. foreign policy, even as dictators across our hemisphere like Castro, Maduro, and Ortega enriched themselves while ravaging their people. Congress is putting counter-kleptocracy at the center of U.S. foreign policy and I am proud to be part of this movement.”

Today's spotlight: CAFCAK member Representative Mike Waltz (FL 06).

Congressman Mike Waltz is a proud Florida native, a Colonel in the National Guard, a combat-decorated Green Beret, former White House and Pentagon policy advisor, small business owner and a proud father.

Mike’s servant leadership continued in the Pentagon as a defense policy director for Secretaries of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates. Mike then went on to serve in the White House as Vice President Dick Cheney's counterterrorism advisor, where he saw the difficult decisions the President and his Cabinet must make to protect our national security firsthand. Mike’s position in the White House was unique, as he advised the Bush administration on policy he actually carried out in the military.

Today's CAFCAK member spotlight: Gerry Connolly (VA 11).

Congressman Connolly serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Using his extensive background in foreign policy, including as a senior staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he has become a leading voice on foreign assistance reform, war powers, embassy security, and democracy promotion abroad.

Congressman Connolly has worked in the non-profit sector, primarily advocating for hunger aid and international assistance. He also has strong ties to the business community having spent two decades working for organizations and companies involved in international trade, regulatory matters, technology, and research.

Today's CAFCAK member spotlight: Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO 05).

Emanuel Cleaver, II is now serving his ninth term representing Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, the home district of President Harry Truman. He is a member of the House Committee on Financial Services; Chair of the Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development, and Insurance; member of Subcommittee on Investor Protection, Entrepreneurship, and Capital Markets; member of Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations; member of the House Committee on Homeland Security; member of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security; and member of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress.

Today's CAFCAK member spotlight: Representative Sara Jacobs (CA 53).

A third-generation San Diegan, Congresswoman Jacobs attended local public schools before graduating from Columbia University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Master of International Affairs degree in International Security Policy and Conflict Resolution.

Congresswoman Jacobs has also served in the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations at the U.S. Department of State, where she focused on conflict prevention and response, countering and preventing violent extremism, and U.S. foreign policy in sub-Saharan Africa; as a foreign policy advisor to Secretary Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign; as the Big Data Lead in UNICEF’s Innovation Unit; and as an Electoral Specialist for the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

Today's spotlight: CAFCAK member Representative Katie Porter (CA 45).

Representative Porter believes our democracy and government should reflect the people of America and serve their needs, not special interests or corporate donors. As a progressive, she’s a leader in the fight to protect taxpayers and crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse. In Congress, she’s a key voice for ending political corruption, increasing government transparency, and holding leaders of both parties accountable. She’s matched her commitment to transparency with concrete action by hosting regular town halls and publicly posting a list of meetings she takes.

The Golden Visa Accountability Act, introduced in the House by Representatives Kinzinger and Malinowski, will require the Secretary of State to establish an investor visa denials database, and for other purposes. Read the full text below.

www.congress.gov